The Three Rivers itHouse is the basic model home for Taalman Koch’s prefabricated system. With 2 bedrooms and a series interconnected patios and interior living spaces, this transparent building serves as the second home for a LA couple who work as visual artists. Views of the 7 acre piece of land are visible from every room and creates an immediate and deep connection with the outdoor environment. They wanted to have the same experiences as they did while camping, but enjoy the basic interior comforts. The home is nestled between moss covered boulders and tall oak trees with only a modest footprint, minimally disrupting the environment.

Construction was quick and easy due to the prefabricated parts, which were assembled on site by a licensed contractor of the clients’ choosing. The home makes use of radiant floor heating, solar passive design, large roof overhangs for shading and obviously tons of natural daylight. Only a few interior walls are required to cordon off the bedrooms and bathrooms and low VOC paint is used on these, otherwise, all the exterior walls are glass. Obviously, glass is not necessarily the most insulative material, but this type of system works in California’s temperate climate where heating is seldom needed. Shade, natural ventilation and solar passive design are much more important here.